Internet Search Engines

An Internet search engine allows the user to enter keywords relating to a topic and retrieve information about Internet sites containing those keywords. When should you use a search engine? Use a search engine under the following conditions: 1) when you have a narrow or obscure topic or idea to research; 2) when you are looking for a specific site; 3) when you want to search the full text of millions of pages; 4) when you want to retrieve a large number of documents on your topic; 5) when you want to search for particular types of documents, file types, source locations; languages, date last modified, etc.; 6) when you want to take advantage of newer retrieval technologies such as concept clustering, ranking by popularity, link ranking, etc (Laura Cohen, retired academic librarian, University at Albany Libraries, SUNY).

What search engines should you use? Google? Dogpile? Ask.com? You probably have a favorite. Becoming more familiar with the features of each search engine, you will become more successful at finding the information you need. Visit http://www.infopeople.org/search/chart.html for a list of Internet search engines and their features.

Internet Tutorials
Internet Tutorials:  Your Basic Guide to the Internet is a site created by retired academic librarian, Laura B. Cohen.  It provides the following:

Web Overview including information on Web basics, make-up of URLS, RSS basics, and the social Web.

Search Tools including information on how to choose the best search engine or directory for your needs.

Search Techniques including information on Boolean searching and best search tips for getting the most out of the Web.
Finding Content including information on the Deep Web and scholarly content on the Web.

Evaluating Internet Resources

Listed below are links to web content evaluation tools:

“Evaluating Web Content”  University at Albany, State University of New York

“Checklist for Evaluating Web Resources”  University of Southern Maine

“Evaluating Web Resources”  Wolfgram Memorial Library, Widener University

“Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages”  Olin & Uris Libraries, Cornell University

“Evaluation Criteria”  created by Susan Beck as part of “The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, or Why It’s a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources,” New Mexico State University Library

“Evaluating Science WWW Resources”

“Search and Research – Evaluating Websites”

“Web Page Evaluation Checklist”  University of California, Berkeley

“Evaluating Web Pages:  Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask”  University of California, Berkeley